Spanish Superman Is Going To Rescue Northern Rock
Also, We’ve Heard That Jeff Skilling Is Totally Going To Bailout Countrywide

By Keith Hahn


You’re just jealous. You know you wish you had the chorizo to announce an acquisition dressed as Superman.
Our man here is Jose Maria Ruiz-Mateos, one of Spain’s more controversial and colorful business figures. He’s got everything you want in a cartoon version of a dodgy Spanish business man. Ties to Franco and Opus Dei, mutual legal recriminations against the Spanish government (the socialist government took his assets and called him a thief, he says they’re a bunch of socialist jerks), ownership of a football club, and a private army of 13 children. ¿Quien es mas macho? If this guy didn’t exist, the Italians would probably have to invent him. And then elect him prime minister.
Now word comes that he’s leading a group of Spanish investors who want to buy Northern Rock, the bank that broke Britain. Even though the Brits are totally over their fear of Spanish Popery, there’s some doubt about whether Superman’s bid will fly. As the Financial Times dryly put it, “the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority might have to think twice before allowing Jose Maria Ruiz-Mateos take control of the mortgage lender.”

Ruiz-Mateos an unlikely bidder [Financial Times]

Comments (5)

  1. 1
    Posted by huh? | September 26, 2007 at 11:09 AM

    Spanish Popery?
    Poppery?
    Poppies?
    Poppy seed bagels?

  2. 2
    Posted by guy from the mid-90s | September 26, 2007 at 11:11 AM

    that’s dope

  3. 3
    Posted by The Open Society and Its Enemies | September 26, 2007 at 11:13 AM

    Spanish Poppery is the Madrid based philosophy group that follows the teaching of Karl Popper.

  4. 4
    Posted by Lee D | September 26, 2007 at 11:41 AM

    His chief weapon is fear. fear and surprise…his two chief weapons are fear and surprise and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope!

  5. 5
    Posted by Ibex Salad | September 26, 2007 at 1:27 PM

    Really? What a score. Ruiz Mateo was bagged for having his own bank inflate its assessments of properties he owned prior to, you guessed it, lending him money on them. And his football team. Prior to Rayo Vallecano’s descent to segundo, and then segundo B, his wife (who is his front) publicly stated that it’s lack of succes was a result of government conspiracy as enacted by referees.
    Recently lost one of his main suits against the gov, by the way.

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